anyone else hatching on the 26th?

[emvickrey]

The quail have started to hatch now. They aren't due until tomorrow so they where a surprise. My daughter and her kids came for thie night so they got to watch the miracle of hatching. Now she knows why I get so excited about new babies. My husband is the one taht wanted the quail and after these two hatched and there wasn't any more movement we left but he pulled up a chair and sat there for about an hour waiting for more. They are so cute and more lively than chicken chicks. And soooo tiny. So here are a couple of pics.

I took pics after they dried and was transferring them to the old bator i'm using for a brooder for their first few days.

Are quail ike chickens when it comes to the first 3 days of life? Can they do without food or do they need it right away? One of them was drinking water from between the screen from the water supply in the bator that is meant for humidity.

 

[walkswithdog]

I have two back in the house from my hatch. I think both hatched late and were a little stomped as momma's got moving. They're doing well, another day or two and I can probably stick them back out there.

I moved Penelope down to the floor yesterday and will probably move Caladan down today, she's by far the more sensitive of the two so I gave her an extra day to sort of settle.

The nesting shelf is about four feet off the floor so they'd get off but they certainly wouldn't get back. I dont worry about the fall, really deep litter and I've seen chicks manage it fine, but while I can lift them down I might as well.

The BBS Ameraucana are ADORABLE but I have a very soft spot for BBS anything.

 

[patandchickens]

Love looking at everyone's chick pics. Some of you are pretty good chick photographers, too!

Here is what I ended up with:

3 are from my speckled sussexes (which is what I was really TRYING to produce from this hatch); the other 2 are sussex-campine mutts (from the one campine hen in that pen) that I apparently set accidentally

(e.t.a. - I opened the five that didn't make it, as I had suspected they were shrink-wrapped and dead

, only one had even managed to pip into the air cell. So, evidently optimal humidity for my incubator is somewhere BETWEEN what I had last time and what I had this time. Hopefully next time I will get it right)

One of the sussex chicks is pretty small, and at 2 days old still a bit wobbly and stands with an oddly wide stance (not splayed, just WIDE, like a broiler chick sort of) so we'll have to see how things go, but otherwise they are happy and peepy and in the bigger brooder now.

I'll try another setting at the end of next month, hopefully produce a more meaningful number of sussexes (and NO MORE CAMPINE MUTTS sneaking in there

)

Thanks y'all for keeping me company, and it's been fun seeing everyone elses' results

Pat

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Here's what I have. I've still got the bator going and will candle them tonight, if no more activity.